Auto-expiring picture internet control

Abstract

A method of maintaining a display is provided comprising the steps of providing an image on the display, and identifying via an identifier on the display a status of the image, the identifier being viewable only during a predetermined time criteria.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of maintaining a display, comprising the steps of: 
 providing an image on said display; and    identifying via an identifier on said display a status of said image, said identifier being viewable only during a predetermined time criteria.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a status comprises one of a new image, an altered image, and a current image.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said predetermined time criteria is a maximum time limit.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said providing an image step comprises loading a WebPage including said image.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of identifying via an identifier on said display a status of said image comprises the step of embedding a link to said identifier.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the step of removing said embedded link after said predetermined time criteria.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the step of embedding a link to said identifier is performed automatically whenever the status of said image changes.  
     
     
         8 . A method of designing a display, comprising the steps of: 
 generating an image to be depicted on said display;    relating a time criteria to said image; and    embedding a link to an identifier for identifying on said display a status of said image,    wherein said embedded link expires when said time criteria is satisfied.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein a status comprises one of a new image, an altered image, and a current image.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said display comprises a WebPage.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said time criteria is a maximum time limit.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the step of relating a time criteria to said image and the step of embedding a link to an identifier are both performed automatically when a new or altered image is generated.  
     
     
         13 . A program product comprising machine readable program code for causing a machine to perform the following method steps: 
 providing an image on a computer screen; and    identifying via an identifier on said computer screen a status of said image, said identifier being viewable only during a predetermined time criteria.    
     
     
         14 . The program product of  claim 13 , wherein a status comprises one of a new image, an altered image, and a current image.  
     
     
         15 . The program product of  claim 13 , wherein said predetermined time criteria is a maximum time limit.  
     
     
         16 . The program product of  claim 13 , wherein the step of providing an image on a computer screen is performed by loading a WebPage including said image.  
     
     
         17 . The program product of  claim 13 , wherein the step of identifying via an identifier on said computer screen a status of said image comprises embedding a link to said identifier.  
     
     
         18 . The computer readable disc of  claim 17 , further comprising automatically removing said embedded link after said predetermined time criteria.  
     
     
         19 . A program product comprising machine readable program code for causing a machine to perform the following method steps: 
 generating an image to be depicted on a computer screen;    relating a time criteria to said image; and    embedding a link to an identifier for identifying on said computer screen a status of said image,    wherein said embedded link expires when said time criteria is satisfied.    
     
     
         20 . The program product of  claim 19 , wherein a status comprises one of a new image, an altered image, and a current image.  
     
     
         21 . The program product of  claim 19 , wherein the step of generating an image to be depicted on a computer screen is performed by generating a WebPage including said image.  
     
     
         22 . The program product of  claim 19 , wherein said time criteria is a maximum time limit.  
     
     
         23 . The program product of  claim 19 , wherein the step of relating a time criteria to said image and the step of embedding a link to an identifier are both performed automatically when an image is generated.  
     
     
         24 . A program product for loading a WebPage, comprising computer readable program code for causing a machine to carry out the following method steps: 
 generating an image to be depicted on said WebPage; and    embedding a link to an identifier for identifying on said WebPage that said image is new, said embedded link automatically expiring after a pre-determined maximum time limit.    
     
     
         25 . A WebPage maintaining device, comprising: 
 means for loading a WebPage on a computer, said WebPage including at least one image;    means for relating a time criteria to said image; and    means for identifying on said WebPage a status of said image until said time criteria is satisfied.    
     
     
         26 . The WebPage maintaining device of  claim 25 , wherein said means for identifying on said WebPage a status of said image comprises: means for embedding a link to an identifier for identifying on said WebPage a status of said image, said embedded link expiring when said time criteria is satisfied.  
     
     
         27 . The WebPage maintaining device of  claim 25 , wherein said time criteria is a maximum time limit.  
     
     
         28 . The WebPage maintaining device of  claim 25 , wherein said time criteria is a hit count.